Development of British Imperialism Before 1857 (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes
Development of British Imperialism Before 1857
Origins of the English Empire
The question of when the English Empire began remains debated among historians. Some argue it started with the Norman conquest of Ireland, a process spanning from the Norman period through to Elizabeth I's reign. However, whether Ireland constituted a colony in the conventional sense is disputed.
The term "colony" typically suggests geographical separation between the colonial territory and the imperial power. Ireland's proximity to England complicates this classification, as does the fact that both the Russian Empire's eastward expansion and the USA's westward expansion in the nineteenth century are not usually characterised as colonisation processes.
Seventeenth-century expansion
England constructed its global empire during the early seventeenth century through strategic colonial foundations in North America and the West Indies. The East India Company, established during Elizabeth I's reign, created trading posts and gradually acquired territorial control in India.
Throughout the eighteenth century, following the 1707 unification of England and Scotland, Britain engaged in a series of wars against France and Spain that proved successful in expanding British territorial holdings. By the conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763, Britain had secured claims to most of North America and substantial portions of India, establishing itself as the world's foremost imperial power.
Impact of American independence and recovery
Britain's defeat in the American War of Independence (1775-83) resulted in the loss of thirteen North American colonies, dealing a substantial blow to British prestige and imperial ambitions. However, during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the British Empire experienced renewed expansion.
This growth stemmed primarily from Britain's naval superiority and commercial strength. The defeat of Napoleonic France in 1814-15 and subsequent expansionist policies ensured that Britain had become the world's greatest imperial power by the mid-nineteenth century.
Understanding imperialism
Imperialism describes the process by which a country, typically an empire or kingdom, extends its power through acquiring territories, often termed colonies. The word derives from the Latin imperium, meaning power.
Rarely used before the 1870s, the term acquired (and retains) negative connotations, being understood as a process through which the mother country (the home country of colonists) exploited its colonies. Imperialism now primarily refers to Western (and Japanese) political and economic dominance, particularly in Asia and Africa, during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The term has become almost interchangeable with colonialism.
The nature of the British Empire in 1857
By 1857, the British Empire comprised a complex mixture of territories with little in common beyond Britain exercising some form of control over them. This diversity reflected the varied origins, populations, and administrative arrangements across imperial possessions.
Colonies of settlement
These territories had been founded and populated by people of British or European origin, though they differed substantially from one another:
Canada contained many French-speaking colonists, whilst Newfoundland did not regard itself as part of Canada.
Cape Colony and Natal in southern Africa contained many Afrikaans-speaking Boers (people of Dutch origin who had settled in the region). Afrikaans developed as a language meaning "African-Dutch".
Britain's West Indian islands were mainly populated by people whose ancestors had been enslaved Africans, brought to work on plantations. Although originally settled by European colonists, the demographic composition had changed substantially. (Slavery ended in the British Empire in 1834.)
Australia existed as a collection of separate colonies rather than a unified territory.
Key Points to Remember:
- The English/British Empire developed from the early seventeenth century through strategic colonisation in North America, the West Indies, and India via the East India Company.
- Britain emerged as the world's greatest imperial power by 1763 following victories in the Seven Years' War, despite the subsequent loss of thirteen American colonies in 1783.
- Naval and commercial superiority, combined with the defeat of Napoleonic France in 1814-15, enabled Britain to achieve unmatched imperial dominance by the mid-nineteenth century.
- By 1857, the British Empire consisted of diverse territories with little in common, including colonies of settlement with varied European and non-European populations.
- Imperialism, a term gaining currency in the 1870s, describes territorial acquisition by empires and carries negative connotations relating to colonial exploitation.